#Deadspin #Jake #Sanderson #Senators #record #key #victory #Lightning">Deadspin | Jake Sanderson, Senators record key victory over Lightning
Apr 7, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) vie for the puck during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Keito Newman-Imagn Images
Jake Sanderson scored twice and Brady Tkachuk logged four assists to help the Ottawa Senators tighten their hold on a playoff spot with a 6-2 win against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
Tim Stutzle had a goal and two assists for the Senators (41-27-10, 92 points), who have won two straight and three of their past four games to remain in the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Ottawa is two points up on the Columbus Blue Jackets and three points ahead of both the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders.
Ottawa got a goal apiece from Jordan Spence, Shane Pinto and Fabian Zetterlund, and Drake Batherson had two assists. Goalie Linus Ullmark made 28 saves.
Nick Paul and Corey Perry each had a goal and an assist while Jonas Johansson made 26 saves for the Lightning (48-24-6, 102 points), who have lost consecutive games for the first time since March 8-10. Tampa Bay is now in a three-way tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens.
Spence gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead at 15:46 of the second period. He finished off a short give-and-go with Tkachuk on a 2-on-1 and beat Johansson with a shot from the right hashmark that went in off the crossbar.
Paul tied it 1-1 when he received a feed from Perry and lifted a backhand over Ullmark’s glove from in front at 18:23 of the middle period.
Zetterlund’s shot from the top of the left circle went off Erik Cernak and past Johansson to put Ottawa ahead 2-1 at 2:45 of the third period.
Sanderson pushed it to 3-1 at 4:39. He took a pass from Stutzle in the neutral zone, skated down the right side and then cut to the net to slip a backhand under Johansson’s left pad.
Perry pulled the Lightning with 3-2 at 10:35, tipping Ryan McDonagh’s shot over Ullmark.
Stutzle pounced on a rebound amid a scramble in the crease and put it over Johansson’s right pad on a power play to make it 4-2 at 12:51. Tampa Bay challenged for goaltender interference, but the call on the ice stood after video review, sending Ottawa back on the power play.
Sanderson capitalized on the man advantage to increase it to 5-2, taking a feed from Tkachuk for a partial break and slipping a backhand by Johansson’s left pad at 13:04.
Pinto scored a short-handed empty-net goal at 16:41 for the 6-2 final.
Romanian football legend Mircea Lucescu — a serial trophy winner as a player and a coach — passed away aged 80 on Tuesday.
Lucescu’s death was confirmed by Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, where he had been admitted after reportedly suffering a heart attack on Friday morning.
“Mr. Mircea Lucescu was one of the most successful Romanian football coaches and players, the first to qualify the Romanian national team for a European Championship, in 1984,” the hospital said in a statement. “Entire generations of Romanians grew up with his image in their hearts, as a national symbol.”
Lucescu had a lengthy coaching career and was in his second spell with the Romanian national team until stepping down last Thursday after falling ill during training. Three days earlier, Romania had missed out on qualification to the World Cup after losing to Turkey in a playoff.
As a player, Lucescu captained his country at the 1970 World Cup.
Lucescu’s coaching career spanned almost half a century, from late-1970s Romania to 2026 World Cup qualifying, as Eastern European football was transformed by political and economic changes after the fall of communism, and later by the effects of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Lucescu spent 12 years as coach of Shakhtar Donetsk, where billionaire Rinat Akhmetov’s backing assembled a squad filled with up-and-coming Brazilian talents. Lucescu forged a team that became a Champions League regular and won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top flight titles with the side..
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top flight titles with the side..
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
By the time Lucescu left in 2016, Shakhtar had left its home city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine after a takeover by Russia-backed separatists.
His later moves to Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg and to Shakhtar’s bitter Ukrainian rival Dynamo Kyiv were less well-received by Shakhtar fans.
Internationally, Lucescu coached Turkey as well as Romania. His second spell with Romania started in 2024, 38 years after he’d left the national team the first time. His last game was the loss to Turkey.
Lucescu coached Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana and Inter Milan in Italy and is remembered fondly in the north of the country, especially at Brescia — despite his tenure being marked by several ups and downs.
His team there was dubbed Brescia Romeno after Lucescu signed four of his compatriots, including one of Romania’s greatest ever players, Gheorghe Hagi, between stints at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
#Deadspin #Hurricanes #edge #Bruins #clinch #division #title">Deadspin | Hurricanes edge Bruins in OT to clinch division title
Apr 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) skates with the puck against Carolina Hurricanes left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Jaccob Slavin scored 1:13 into overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the visiting Boston Bruins 6-5 to clinch the Metropolitan Division on Tuesday night at Raleigh, N.C.
Logan Stankoven, William Carrier and Taylor Hall scored within a 3 1/2-minute stretch in the second period and teammates Andrei Svechnikov and K’Andre Miller scored earlier for the Hurricanes (50-22-6, 106 points). Jackson Blake and Sean Walker both had two assists and Brandon Bussi made 16 saves.
By reaching overtime, the Hurricanes wrapped up the division in their home finale. They have four games remaining.
Boston’s Morgan Geekie had a hat trick, while Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist. Zacha’s goal tied the game with 7:27 left in regulation. The Bruins (43-26-10, 96 points), though, were unable to capitalize on a late power play. Carolina outshot Boston 1-4 in the third period. Viktor Arvidsson, Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Nikita Zadorov all assisted on two goals.
Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves on 23 shots before he was pulled before the midway mark of the second period. Joonas Korpisalo made 16 saves the rest of the way, but Boston completed a 0-2-2 road trip.
Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho both assisted on the winning goal.
Geekie scored twice in a four-minute stretch late in the first period against one of his former teams. His third goal came with 1:10 to play in the second period, pulling the Bruins to within 5-4 and pushing his career-high goals total to 37.
The teams combined for five goals in the first period.
Hampus Lindholm opened the scoring 4:40 into the game. Svechnikov and Miller catapulted the Hurricanes into the lead with their goals 94 seconds apart.
Stankoven’s power-play goal pulled the Hurricanes even 5:17 into the second period.
Carolina captain Jordan Staal was back in action after missing Sunday’s loss at Ottawa for an undisclosed reason.
#Champions #League #Havertzs #stoppagetime #winner #Arsenal #slender #lead #quarterfinals">Champions League: Havertz’s stoppage-time winner gives Arsenal a slender lead in quarterfinals
Arsenal substitute Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time goal to snatch a 1-0 win at Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday.
The Germany forward was found unmarked inside the box by Gabriel Martinelli before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Rui Silva to settle a tactical encounter.
After a first half in which Sporting’s Maxi Araujo and Arsenal’s Noni Madueke struck the woodwork, the visiting side had a Martin Zubimendi effort disallowed before David Raya produced several late saves to deny the home side.
The deadlock was finally broken in added time by Havertz, who replaced the injured Martin Odegaard in the 70th minute, to secure the advantage before the return leg next week.
“Beautiful and that’s the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told Amazon Prime regarding the winner.
“We had a goal disallowed, and there were two or three occasions where we were close, but we lacked that final pass. In the end, a magic moment from the finishers wins us the game.”
The winner of the tie will face Barcelona or Atlético Madrid, which play at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, in the semifinals.
ARSENAL REDEMPTION
Arsenal arrived in Lisbon seeking to bounce back from Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal exit at second-tier Southampton, and will be delighted with the win, but the sight of captain Odegaard limping off will concern Arteta.
The Norway midfielder appeared to struggle throughout the match, having recently returned from a long-term injury layoff.
The first half was a cagey affair, with the woodwork denying both sides an opening goal. Araujo came close for the hosts, seeing his powerful left-foot strike rebound off the post following a break into the box in the opening minutes.
However, Arsenal grew into the contest and nearly led through Madueke. The winger rose to meet an outswinging corner, but his header clipped the bar with Silva beaten.
Despite the near misses, both teams struggled to find a consistent rhythm, with the tie remaining finely balanced heading into the second half.
Arsenal thought it had the breakthrough shortly after the hour when Zubimendi curled the ball into the net at the near post, but it was ruled out after a VAR review found former Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres to be offside in the build-up.
RAYA WINS PLAYER OF THE MATCH
With the host dominating the latter stages, Raya was forced into several crucial interventions, including a diving save to divert Geny Catamo’s low header behind for a corner, with the Spaniard’s performance earning the Player of the Match award.
“It’s something that I’m there for. I’m trying to help the team as much as possible in any single action, not just defending but commanding and on the ball,” Raya said.
The match seemed headed for a draw until a late lapse from the Sporting defence gave Havertz the space to control the ball and find a clinical finish to put Arsenal in the driving seat.
The result marks a return to winning ways for Arsenal following consecutive defeats, including its FA Cup exit and defeat by Manchester City in the League Cup final.
“We’ve come from two losses, learn from those moments, that pain when you lose a game” Raya added.
“Use that pain in the belly to go out there and express yourself, be yourself and try to be better every single day. That’s the main message we have to send out there.”
Premier League leader Arsenal will try to keep up the momentum when it hosts Bournemouth on Saturday.
#Deadspin #Amed #Rosarios #HRs #lift #Yankees #Athletics">Deadspin | Amed Rosario’s two HRs lift Yankees past Athletics
Mar 30, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees pinch hitter Amed Rosario (14) high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting an RBI-sacrifice fly against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Amed Rosario gave the New York Yankees the lead by hitting a three-run home run with one out in the eighth inning en route to a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the visiting Athletics.
The Yankees improved to 8-2 through their first 10 games for the second time in three seasons. New York has won eight of its first 10 games for the 11th time in team history.
Facing former New York reliever Mark Leiter Jr. (0-1), Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice started the comeback with singles, putting runners at first and third for Giancarlo Stanton.
Stanton hit a soft single that eluded shortstop Jacob Wilson and cut the lead to 3-2. After center fielder Denzel Clarke made a diving catch on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s sinking liner, Rosario blasted an 0-1 splitter into the left field seats for a 5-3 lead.
Rosario also homered off A’s starter Aaron Civale in the second inning for New York’s first run. It was the veteran infielder’s third career multi-homer game and first since Aug. 31, 2021 for the Cleveland Guardians.
It was only Rosario’s third start of the season.
New York starter Cam Schlittler allowed his first three runs of the season, all in the third inning, following his scoreless starts in San Francisco and Seattle. Schlittler scattered five hits in five innings, struck out seven and walked none.
Nick Kurtz hit a two-run double and Tyler Soderstrom added an RBI double when the A’s had four hits in the third and took a 3-1 lead.
Civale allowed Rosario’s homer among two hits in five innings. He struck out six, withstood four walks and retired Stanton to end the first and third innings with runners on.
Four relievers followed Schlittler with four innings. Fernando Cruz struck out Max Muncy with two on to end the eighth and David Bednar pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save.
#Champions #League #1st #leg #Bayern #Munich #beats #Real #Madrid #Kane #rules #roost #Mbappe">Champions League QF, 1st leg: Bayern Munich beats Real Madrid 2-1 as Kane rules the roost vs Mbappe
Bayern Munich took control of its Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, earning a slender first-leg advantage after a high-tempo contest in the Spanish capital.
Vincent Kompany’s side struck just before half-time when Serge Gnabry slipped a precise pass through for Luis Diaz, who beat the offside trap and fired low past keeper Andriy Lunin in the 41st minute.
Bayern doubled its lead seconds after the restart as Michael Olise squared for Harry Kane to finish neatly from the edge of the box following a swift counterattack.
Real improved after the hour, and Kylian Mbappe pulled one back in the 74th minute, turning in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low cross at the far post.
Manuel Neuer then denied Mbappe and Vinicius Jr with a series of sharp saves as the host pressed for an equaliser that never came, as Bayern headed home with a slender yet significant advantage.
The winner of the two-legged tie will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool, who play their first leg on Wednesday, in the semifinals.
“We came out for the second half and conceded a goal straight away. Both goals we conceded were gifts. Both sides had plenty of chances but Bayern’s best player today was Neuer. In the end, that’s how it goes,” Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger told Movistar Plus.
Bayern imposed itself from the outset and went close to scoring in the ninth minute, only for Alvaro Carreras to produce a goal-line clearance to deny Dayot Upamecano from point-blank range after Real failed to clear their lines.
The visiting side dominated possession in the first half, seeing more than 65 per cent of the ball as Alvaro Arbeloa’s side dropped into a deep defensive block and looked to break on the counter.
Real nonetheless created chances. Vinicius forced a superb one-handed save from Neuer in the 17th minute, the Bayern goalkeeper tipping away a low drive from the edge of the box at full stretch.
REFLEX SAVE
Mbappe squandered two openings soon after and was denied again in the 29th minute by an outstanding reflex save from Neuer.
Bayern made the breakthrough four minutes before the interval following a slick passing move. Kane and Gnabry exchanged quick passes before Gnabry slipped a perfectly weighted ball through the centre for Diaz, who slipped behind the defence and drilled a low finish inside the right post in the 41st minute.
The German side doubled its lead seconds after the restart. Carreras lost possession in midfield, and Bayern countered swiftly as Kane, unmarked on the edge of the area, finished calmly just inside the right post.
It was Kane’s 49th goal of the season and his 11th in the Champions League.
Real responded with urgency. Vinicius burst clear after an error from Upamecano in the 60th minute but dragged his shot wide as Neuer rushed out to narrow the angle.
The goalkeeper then produced another fine one-handed save to deny Mbappe in the 65th minute and moments later watched the France forward pull an angled effort wide after clever play from Vinicius.
Mbappe pulled one back in the 74th minute, with the referee ruling the ball had crossed the line despite Neuer appearing to get a hand to the shot.
Neuer remained defiant, blocking a fierce strike from Vinicius in the 81st minute and holding an Eder Militao curler shortly afterwards, while Mbappe sent another effort narrowly wide in the 89th minute as Real poured forward.
Bayern wasted chances to extend its lead on the break but returned home with the advantage after a compelling first leg.
#Deadspin #Dodgers #Yoshinobu #Yamamoto #deals #return #Toronto #Blue #Jays">Deadspin | Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto deals in return to Toronto vs. Blue Jays
Apr 7, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched an effective six-plus innings Tuesday night and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1.
Yamamoto (2-1) allowed one run, five hits and one walk with six strikeouts in his first appearance back in the stadium where he was named World Series MVP last year after closing out Game 7.
Edwin Diaz pitched around a single and a walk in the ninth to earn his fourth save.
Alex Freeland had three hits for the Dodgers, who have won five in a row while the Blue Jays have lost six straight.
Los Angeles took a 2-0 lead in the third against Kevin Gausman (0-1), who opposed Yamamoto in Games 2 and 6 of the World Series.
Hyeseong Kim, starting at shortstop after Miguel Rojas was a late scratch because of a family matter, opened with a double to right center. He took third when Freeland reached first on a sacrifice bunt. Gausman’s throw to first hit Freeland. Shohei Ohtani lined an RBI single high off the right field wall, and Freeland scored from third on Will Smith’s fielder’s choice.
Toronto manager John Schneider was ejected in the fifth for arguing a balk call on Gausman. That moved Kim, who led off the inning with a walk, to second. He scored on Freeland‘s single.
Mason Fluharty replaced Gausman with one out and two on in the sixth.
Gausman allowed three runs, five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Yamamoto retired 12 in a row before Andres Gimenez singled to right to lead off the home sixth. George Springer lashed an RBI double to right center with one out.
Freeland led off the seventh with a double, but Fluharty retired the next two hitters before Louis Varland replaced him to get the final out.
Kazuma Okamoto led off the Toronto seventh with a double to center. He took third on Ernie Clement’s bunt single to third. Alex Vesia replaced Yamamoto and walked pinch hitter Davis Schneider to load the bases. Vesia worked out of the jam with two shallow flyouts and a strikeout.
Los Angeles added a run in the ninth against Jeff Hoffman when Freeland reached second on a two-out infield hit and an error by catcher Brandon Valenzuela. Kyle Tucker brought him home with an RBI single.
Apr 7, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) vie for the puck during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Keito Newman-Imagn Images
